A new report from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Resources Division (CRD) showed further improvement from last year, up to an “A-“ for Georgia’s coastal environment. Improvement was particularly good for Georgia’s coastal fish and bird populations.
“This year’s annual report card—released on Earth Day—shows Coastal Georgia’s ecosystems continue to thrive, in large part because of thoughtful stewardship, science-based decision making, and striking that careful balance between conservation and development,” said Jan Mackinnon, a CRD biologist who oversaw the report. “Positive increases in red drum abundance, wood storks, and bald eagles all contributed to higher scores over last year, and everyone who cares about our natural resources can be proud of that.”
Of particular interest to many are bald eagle populations, which have rebounded in Georgia. Georgia nesting totals were around 100 in 2007 and had doubled by 2015, and it appears have stayed above that every year since. Fisheries scored at 100 percent – the first time the fisheries index scored at that high of a level, meaning the fishing industry is at a sustainable level and the coast is able to support commercial and recreational species. Increased fishery health also means a better environment for birds, which saw an overall moderate score of C+. Sea turtles also seem to be in an upward direction, scoring an A-. Sea turtle nesting scored well but hatching was more moderate.
“Factors ranging from wind direction, to salinity, to water temperature can all play significant roles in the survival rates of red drum,” said Jared Flowers, CRD’s research and surveys unit leader. “Red drum scores in this year’s report card are actually more in line with what we generally see. Last year’s score was a relative abnormality, but we do see cyclical patterns in this fishery with highs and lows. CRD’s Marine Sportfish Population Health Survey monitors this gamefish and will continue to gather data to help inform any future management decisions.”
Georgia’s coast has a particularly unique history that has helped it to maintain some of its natural character and make management a little easier than some other states. Many of Georgia’s barrier islands were in private hands for nearly a century or more and the marshlands that make up some much of the coast made accessibility difficult. By the time technology made some of those accessibility challenges more difficult, Georgia’s population centers had moved inland, either just a little up river like Savannah or much further inland like Atlanta, thanks to the railroad. Now that development pressures are pushing back on the coast, Georgia is already ahead of the game because of management strategies already in place.
To see the full report card:
https://coastalgadnr.org/sites/default/files/crd/pdf/220411%20Report%20Card%202021.pdf
